When I remember 9/11, the images that haunt me are those of the people jumping to their deaths, and the many times afterwards when Osama would show up on my TV screen. To this day there aren’t any people jumping off of tall buildings one after the other, but Osama’s face has been a mainstay, along with the knowledge that his heart is still beating. I don’t want to let politics get in the way here, so what I’ve done is cut and paste segments of print from a series of world-wide sources concerning the location of Osama today in Pakistan, and the latest news on our combined efforts to catch him. I think we can all agree that taking care of this guy should be a priority, no?
HUNDREDS of Pakistani troops are reportedly withdrawing from the crucial war on terror battleground of North Waziristan – the lair of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri – amid heightening concern about the likely impact of what is described as a “Faustian agreement” reached between Islamabad and Taliban militants. (The Australian – Pakistanis give up on lair of Osama)
Under the terms of the deal, Pakistani forces will not only withdraw from the region, but also return arms seized from militants, pay reparations, and have no say in militants coming and going from the area into Afghanistan. (The Times of India – Bush backs Pak-Taliban deal)
Key lawmakers this summer slammed the Bush administration for its handling of up to $5 billion in proposed combat aircraft sales to Pakistan, but Congress still let the weapons deals proceed. Legislators also recently assented to $9.7 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia…The United States and Pakistan have tangled for years over sales of F-16s, which can be built or modified to deliver nuclear weapons. The United States provided Pakistan with 40 F-16s during the 1980s but then halted deliveries in 1990 over Islamabad’s covert nuclear weapons program, which Pakistan unveiled to the world with nuclear tests in May 1998…The United States resisted Pakistan’s pressure to end the F-16 freeze until President George W. Bush relented in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the subsequent U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan. The two countries started negotiating possible sale options in 2005, and the Pentagon transferred two older-model F-16s to Pakistan in December. (See ACT, January/February 2006.) (ArmsControlAssociation)
“What is the status of Afghan-Pakistan relations?” Strained, experts say. Pakistan severed ties with the Taliban four years back but has had chilly relations with the Karzai government since, partly because of its close ties with India. “[Pakistan worries] the Indians are somehow developing a foothold in Afghanistan where they can threaten Pakistan,” says Robert Oakley, former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan from 1988 to 1992. Karzai is seen as overly sympathetic toward India, according to Pakistani officials. (Council on Foreign Relations – What is the status of Afghan-Pakistan relations?)
* US president says he doesn’t know all details of agreement with Taliban
* Hopes to see Musharraf ‘pretty soon’ (PakistanLink)
There must be rejoicing among the terrorists. Men like Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar, leaders of Al Qaeda and Taliban respectively, can look for immunity from capture, never mind the huge bounty the US is offering for their arrest. The accord was signed ostensibly to end violence in North Waziristan that has followed a year-long military operation there. (Asian Tribune – Musharraf surrenders to Taliban)
A senior provincial official in Pakistan has said there are hundreds of al-Qaeda-linked foreign militants in the tribal area of North Waziristan. (BBC News – AlQaeda ‘strong’ in tribal area)
On Sept. 19, 2001, Musharraf made a revealing TV address in Urdu, not noticed at the time by many Americans, in which he reassured Pakistanis who sympathized with al Qaeda and the Taliban that his decision to line up with the U.S. was a temporary expedient. To Taliban sympathizers, Musharraf directed an explicit message, saying: “I have done everything for the … Taliban when the whole world was against them. … We are trying our best to come out of this critical situation without any damage to Afghanistan and the Taliban.” (LA Times – With ‘key allies’ like this…)
Since Sept 11, 2001, the Bush administration has been propping up Musharraf’s military regime with $3.6bn in economic aid from the US and a US-sponsored consortium, not to mention $900m in military aid and the postponement of overdue debt repayments totaling $13.5bn. (Qatar – Pakistan: An Army with a country)